Stress and Breathing Pattern Disorders and Hyperventilation Syndromes

Remuera
B R E A T H I N G WORKS
ONE HEALTH 122 Remuera Rd
Remuera, Auckland
tel. 09 522 1122
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Grey Lynn
B R E A T H I N G WORKS
2 Selbourne Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland
tel: 09 360 2929
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Stress Unlimited

We see a lot of 'stressed' people at B R E A T H I N G WORKS. (Breathing badly is a stress in and of itself - apart from work related stresses.) So we have watched with interest the recent landmark prosecution - the first - by the Health and Safety in Employment Act in New Zealand against a Nelson company. It was fined $8000 for failing to take action over an employee's pleas for help with workplace problems.

The act includes both mental and physical harm caused in the workplace. This case sends a strong message to employers to add workplace stress to its Health & Safety policies.

This is the age of individual responsibility. It's up to each employee (as well as the employer) to make sure their working environment is not making them sick, or harming them. Get all the facts figures and definitions from your trade union or health and safety representative. Keep healthy at work! If your job is making you breathe badly do something about it.

This following extract is from our new book about stress in the workplace
- B R E A T H E STRETCH & MOVE - by Dinah Bradley and Tania Clifton-Smith, due out on the 17th June, and published by Random House New Zealand.

Fascinating research has been done in the USA at the University of Maryland and the State University of New York, which has received very little attention within the Stress Industry. Breathing rates were measured to address the question of how psychosocial stress in computer work contributes to muscle and joint disorders of the upper limbs, neck and shoulders.

Groups of desk bound workers had their carbon dioxide (what we breathe out) levels measured during a normal working day.

Huge fluctuations were found, with people dipping below normal resting carbon dioxide levels for long periods of the day.

Their oxygen levels remained normal.

Read-outs of their breathing rates and patterns revealed breath-holding, upper chest breathing and sighing to be the main culprits. The physiological consequences of this can be profound if it goes on day after day.

The body starts to adapt both structurally (raised shoulders, tighter muscles, upper chest breathing, jaw tension) and physiologically (the body struggles to maintain chemical balance). So both mind and body are affected by 'bad breathing'.

(Low carbon dioxide decreases blood flow to the brain, h ow can the brain work properly if its not getting the right mix of fuel?.) And central to this potentially harmful state of affairs is that 'bad breathing' becomes in and of itself stressful. The original stressful events may have long gone .. The adaptations become the problem.

If and you're feeling "stressed to the max" take a 10 minute break. Try our walking mediation. As they say - a change is as good as a holiday...!

Dinah and Tania

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